SRINAGAR: In a major relief for the 50 MBBS students of the now derecognised Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College, the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (JKBOPEE) has taken a U-turn and announced conducting physical counselling for allocation of 50 MBBS supernumerary seats to accommodate the students in Government Medical Colleges across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Government has resolved the college allocation issue for selected MBBS candidates of SMVD College. With BOPEE now issuing the counselling schedule, the selected candidates can move ahead with their studies,” J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced on the X.
The BOPEE, in a notification dated January 21, said that physical rounds of counselling would be conducted to accommodate MBBS students of SMVDIME, Katra, in government medical colleges within the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The counselling will be held for all concerned candidates who were provisionally allotted seats in different rounds of counselling.
It was stated that 50 supernumerary seats shall be distributed strictly based on the NEET-UG Merit of the candidates concerned and their preferences among the seven newly established Government Medical Colleges in the UT. All the students were advised to report at the J&K BOPEE Office, Jammu/Srinagar for attendance and registration.
“If any candidate cannot participate personally in the counselling on the designated day & date of Counselling due to unavoidable circumstances, he/she can authorize his/her close family member who falls in his/her blood relation to participate in the counselling on behalf of the concerned candidate. The authorized person shall have to submit the authorization letter along with their Identity Card and Aadhar Card during the process of counselling,” the BOPEE notification stated.
Earlier, in a separate notification issued on January 21, the J&K BOPEE had informed the government that it cannot accomodate the 50 MBBS students anywhere as it is “constrained to conduct any new counselling for MBBS admissions for the academic session 2025–26”.
The development comes days after the NMC cancelled the Letter of Permission (LoP) granted to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) in J&K’s Reasi to run a 50-seat MBBS course, citing significant deficiencies in infrastructure and compliance. It directed that students admitted for the session be accommodated as supernumerary seats in other government medical colleges in J&K.
The NMC decision to withdraw LoP to SMVDIME came amid controversy over the admission of 42 Muslim students and one Sikh in the first MBBS batch of 50, triggering protests by Hindu groups who argued that admissions should be restricted to Hindus as the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, which runs the institution, is funded by offerings from Hindu devotees.
About 60 groups formed Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti (SMVDSS) to spearhead agitation initially for cancelling the admission of Muslim students and later for closure of the medical college.
After the derecognition of the Vaishno Devi medical college by NMC, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had assured that the affected students would be adjusted in nearby government medical colleges.
Reacting to BOPEE’s two notifications on the same date, Peoples Conference chairman and MLA Sajjad Gani Lone said, “Two interpretations of law on the same day, by the same department, by the same government.”
“Thank God. The students will finally join a medical college,” Lone said.
With the BOPEE now reversing its earlier stand and issuing a counselling schedule, the prolonged uncertainty faced by the 50 MBBS students after recognition of SMVDIME by NMC in mid-session would end.